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The ship was built in 1895, where it was used as a lighthouse vessel for the first 24 years at Helsingør. After that, it served at Gedser Rev until 1972.
Since then, it has been a museum vessel in different harbors.
Since 2018 it has been back in Helsingør, where it started its service.
In 2003, it went through a major restauration at Hvide Sande Shipyard. In the beginning of 2024 it was towed to Hvide Sande Shipyard once again for further restoration.

History of the lightship XVII

Lightship XVII Gedser Rev has a rich history that spans over more than a century. The ship was built in 1895 at the N.F. Hansen shipyard in Odense and was originally stationed at Lappegrund near the entrance to the Øresund. It served as an important navigation point for ships sailing through the treacherous waters around Gedser Rev, south of Falster – Denmark’s southernmost point.

During World War II, the ship was confiscated by the German occupying forces and moved near Kalundborg but returned to its position at Gedser Rev after the war in 1945.

Throughout the Cold War, Gedser Rev played a role in the escape from East Germany. Many East Germans attempted to flee across the Baltic Sea towards Denmark, and at least 50 were rescued by the lightship.

The lightship was decommissioned in 1972 and was later sold to the A.P. Moller and Wife Chastine Mc-Kinney Møller Foundation, which donated it to the National Museum of Denmark. After extensive restoration completed in 2003 at Hvide Sande Shipyard, the ship was transformed into a museum vessel. It has since been open to the public and has functioned as a living museum, telling the story of Denmark’s maritime past.

In recent times, the ship was moved to Helsingør Harbor, where it is now part of the M/S Maritime Museum. In 2021, the ship received a grant that enabled further restoration, and in the beginning of 2024 it was towed to Hvide Sande Shipyard for this purpose. This ensures that Lightship XVII Gedser Rev will continue to preserve its historical significance and continue to inspire future generations.

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At Hvide Sande Shipyard we have had the pleasure of maintaining the two-masted schooner Fionia since 2005. Below we have listed some of the work that has been done to keep the ship in good condition.

Renovation work planned for fall and winter 2024/2025

After a summer in Middelfart, we welcomed Fionia back in Hvide Sande at the end of September 2024.

The work planned for the fall/winter includes among other things the installation of a:

• New engine
• New gear
• New propeller
• New bulwark
• New rail
• New water-way.

Renovation of the schooner Fionia 2023/2024

Keel straightening, where the keel was replaced with a new oak keel in one piece.

The keelson was replaced with a heavy duty steel profile to secure the ship’s leeway.

The ship’s three bulkheads were replaced with steel.

A number of frames have been replaced
and the underwater cladding was also replaced.

New teak decking was installed in the salon.

The galley has been refitted with stainless steel panels and fixtures.

Aft service corridor added, also with stainless steel panels and fixtures.

The crew cabin was also refitted with new bunks and paneling.

The deck above the engine room and captain’s cabin was covered with a new Oregon pine deck with oak trim.

The skylight over the galley was also replaced.

A new wide jib was fabricated and installed, including new fittings.

History of Fionia

Fionia (the Latin name for Funen, which the ship is now named) was built in 1904.

It was used as a cargo ship until 1960, before becoming a sea angling ship in Elsinore.

From 2004 it worked as a daytrip vessel, until the distillery in Nyborg bought it in 2012.

Since 2023, the USTC Group in Middelfart has been the proud owner of the ship.

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LOA – 26,9 m

Beam – 6,5 m

Disp. – 110 t

Sail area – 165,8 m²

SSB Nordwind was laid down as an armed fishing vessel in 1945 and completed as a Bermuda rigged ketch by the British Occupying Forces in 1948. She served as a coastal patrol vessel, before being transferred to sail training activities for the West German Bundesmarine, a role she has fulfilled from 1956 to 2006. The Deutsches Marinemuseum in Wilhelmshaven acquired her in 2008, and since then she has provided daysails for up to 35 guests, as well as taking up to 10 guests on longer trips. She has also participated in various events such as Kieler Woche and Jade Cup.

Arriving at Hvide Sande Shipyard in late 2021, Nordwind has been the subject of considerable renovation. Her stem has been replaced and large amounts of her oak planking renewed as well as surface treatment of her steel frames, beam shelves deck beams and stringers. She has been fitted with a new watertight bulkhead, an electric bow thruster, hydraulic steering equipment and new generator unit. Furthermore, her weather deck (previously a patchwork of larch, oak, plywood, fiberglass and teak) has been replaced with one of traditionally laid pine. She has also been sheathed in copper plating below the waterline to minimize marine growth.

Elbe No. 5, a historic German schooner, stands as a proud example of maritime heritage. Built in 1883 in Hamburg, this vessel originally served as a pilot boat, guiding ships safely to port. Over the years, Elbe No. 5 has passed through various hands, each adding to its storied legacy. Today, it is not only a symbol of Hamburg’s rich nautical past but also an example of meticulous restoration and preservation.

Restoration at Hvide Sande Shipyard

In the winter of 2018/2019, Elbe No. 5 underwent a significant restoration at Hvide Sande Shipyard. This extensive project was commissioned by a new circle of owners, Stiftung Hamburg Maritim, in Hamburg, determined to return the schooner to its former glory.

Our craftsmen replaced over 100 frames, each carefully designed and crafted according to individual templates. Additionally, more than 1250 meters of cladding were renewed, and a completely new keel was installed.

All these efforts were made using specially purchased and stored oak, ensuring the authenticity and durability of the work

Damage Repair

Following a collision in the summer of 2019, Elbe No. 5 returned to Hvide Sande Shipyard for damage repair in the subsequent winter.

The collision had left the schooner with significant damage, necessitating another round of meticulous repair work to ensure that the wooden hull was professionally restored, preserving the historic vessel.

History of Elbe No. 5

The history of Elbe No. 5 is as rich as the waters it once navigated. Constructed by H.C. Stülcken & Sohn, the schooner was launched as a pilot schooner, a role it fulfilled until 1924.

After retiring from pilot service, it was purchased by author Warwick Tompkins in 1928, who transformed it into a cruising yacht and sail training vessel, christening it the “Wander Bird”.

The vessel made numerous transatlantic crossings and even sailed around Cape Horn to San Francisco Bay.

Eventually, it became a houseboat in Sausalito, California, before being restored and returning to its home port of Hamburg.

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M314 Alta is one of Norway’s largest wooden ships and was built in the USA in 1953. Alta, in recent years operated as both a museum ship and used in minor expeditions from Oslo, has now been returned to the Royal Norwegian Navy. Today, Alta is located in Oslo and, in the future, the Navy will only operate the wooden ship, which is worthy of preservation, as a museum ship.

Hvide Sande Shipyard completed Alta’s most recent restoration in 2017. Among other things, the restoration involved the replacement of the pine cladding, the pine lining and parts of the oak ice protection, as well as the replacement of frames and other parts of the hull construction.

The work carried out was done with great enthusiasm, and Hvide Sande Shipyard is pleased that the ship will continue to be operated and thus maintained.

Wyvern is an 18 m open sea sailing ship operated by Stavanger Maritime Museum.
The ship was designed by Colin Archer on a commission from British-born Frederick Croft and was launched on 10 August 1897.
She sank in the Baltic Sea on 11 July 2013 during the 2013 Tall Ships’ Race. The crew was rescued, but a member of a rescue team died during the accident.
She was raised from the seabed in August 2013 and returned to Stavanger.
In December 2013, her repairs started at Hvide Sande Shipyard.

The 3 masted schooner was built in 1942, based on drawings from the 19th century as a freight vessel. Main dimensions of the vessel are 43 x 7,2 meters.
In the years 2003-2009, we did several restauration jobs on the ship, including straightening of the keel, new stem, new main engine and replacement of the wooden deck.
At the time, the vessel was owned by the Danish brewery, Carlsberg, who used it for representation and press conferences. In 2004 they even used it for PR at the European football championship in Portugal.
In 2010 it was sold and renamed to “Zar”.